Eliana, you capture nicely the absurdity of Chris Matthews’ declamation on the historical significant of Barack Obama’s second inaugural address, but we are fortunate to live in a world with philosophers of the keen insight and understanding of the Sage of MSNBC. You relate the key quote, which we all can turn to as the beacon of wisdom lighting our darkened path:
“[Obama] talked about the government that we want, which is infrastructure, education, regulation, all the good things . . .”
Ah yes, the “good things” of life, that which searchers from Socrates on have striven to uncover and pass along to the rest of their less-perspicacious fellows. Good things like infrastructure and regulation, which are the necessary preconditions for the Good Life. Mr. Matthews understands that the “unregulated life is not worth living” and that infrastructure is the material affirmation of our deepest values. Look not to the false gods of freedom, tradition, or virtue, for they can only lead one astray. The government we want, in this crystallizing exposition of logic, is not one that recognizes its limited role and respects freedom, but is one of a larger federal highway budget and more sweeping powers for the EPA.
I can’t disagree with Matthews about education. Unfortunately, he proves yet again how sadly deficient he is in it himself.